The WCRL station in 2013.
(Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
WEST CHESTER RAILROAD
For the former railroad, see West Chester Railroad (1831–1903).
The West Chester Railroad (reporting mark WCRL) is a privately owned and operated tourist railroad that runs between Market Street in West Chester, Pennsylvania, in Chester County, and the village of Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County.
The West Chester Railroad operates 90-minute round-trip excursions over 7.7 miles (12.4 km) of former Pennsylvania Railroad track on the West Chester Branch. Trains operate Sundays, June through December. Besides the regular trains, the schedule expands with Saturday rides for a number of special events including Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Memorial Day, Halloween, and Christmas. The railroad is owned by the for-profit 4 States Railway Service, Inc. and operated by the West Chester Railroad Heritage Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the railroad. All employees of the railroad are volunteers.
Proposed commuter rail reactivation
In 2018, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation commissioned a feasibility study for rebuilding the line and restoring direct commuter rail service from West Chester to Philadelphia's 30th Street Station. SEPTA service below the Elwyn station was terminated in 1986 due to low ridership and unsafe track conditions but the area has since grown in population and has few transportation alternatives. The study concluded that restoration was feasible but the projected ridership was not high enough to qualify for capital funding.
In September 2021, local officials proposed a short-term plan to upgrade the trackage in order to provide a shuttle service between the line's Market Street station in West Chester and SEPTA's new Wawa Station. The proposed shuttle would use battery-powered cars rebuilt from retired London transit cars. These cars however do not meet US Federal Railroad Administration collision standards and WCRR could not operate their standard heavy weight trains while the shuttle is running. Further, a physical barrier between the shuttle cars and SEPTA cars would have to be built at the proposed Wawa transfer point.
Equipment
Locomotives
No. 1
(Yellow Tank Car, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
No. 3
(Yellow Tank Car, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
1803
(Rds1220, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
4213
(Yellow Tank Car, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
6499
(Rds1220, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
7706
(Rds1220, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Locomotive details
| Number | Model | Built | Manufacturer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20-ton switcher | 1940s | Plymouth | Display |
| 3 (B&O 9115) | S-2 | 1949 | American Locomotive Works | Out of service |
| 1803 | RS-18u | 1960 | Montreal Locomotive Works | Operational |
| 4213 | Century 424 | 1965 | American Locomotive Works | Out of service |
| 6499 | GP9 | 1957 | Electro-Motive Division | Operational |
| 7706 | GP38 | 1969 | Electro-Motive Division | Operational |
Former units
4230
(Yellow Tank Car, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Locomotive details
| Number | Model | Built | Manufacturer | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4230 | Century 424 | 1965 | American Locomotive Works | Sold to NDC Railroad |
| 9 | 65-ton switcher | 1941 | General Electric | Sold to private owner in Delaware |
West Chester Railroad Overview
Locale: Chester/Delaware counties, Pennsylvania, USA
Terminus: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Commercial operations
Built by: West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad
Original gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Preserved operations
Reporting mark: WCRL
Length: 7.7 mi (12.4 km)
Preserved gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Commercial history
Opened: November 1858
1858: West Chester & Philadelphia Railroad begins
Closed: September 1986
Preservation history
1997: West Chester Railroad began operating
Headquarters: West Chester, Pennsylvania
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Contact Information
Depot Address: 230 East Market St., West Chester, PA 19380
Mailing Address: West Chester Railroad Heritage Association, 500 S. Adams St., West Chester, PA 19380
Website: www.wcrailroad.com
Email:
General Information & Ticketing - info@wcrailroad.com
Charter & Party Information: reservations@wcrailroad.com
Please DO NOT call the railroad with online ticketing problems/questions. Please send an email to info@wcrailroad.com and a representative will send a timely response.
Phone:
Please call only if you have a railroad emergency.
(610) 430-2233
